Two former Parramatta Eels players are accused of harbouring semi-automatic weapons and possessing more than half-a-million dollars in cash after dramatic arrests in Sydney's Centennial Park yesterday.

We will monitor whalers: fed govt

The federal government has repeated its promise to monitor Japanese whalers if they return to the Southern Ocean.

Environment Minister Greg Hunt says the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is expected to rule soon on Australia's case against Japanese whaling.

"We hope that the ICJ makes a positive decision shortly and that there is no attempt at whaling," a spokesman for the minister has told AAP.

"If however their fleet sets sail, our commitment to monitoring and observing remains undiminished. Beyond that we will obviously not pre-empt or discuss operational activities."

Earlier this week, former Greens leader Bob Brown, who is now chairman of the anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd Australia, called on the Abbott government to keep its promise to send a customs vessel to monitor any hunt.

He said he was worried the government would walk away from its pre-election commitment.

In mid-October, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop appeared to flag a shift in the coalition's position when she said Australia would make a judgment on whether to send a customs vessel when the whaling season arrived.